WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 70: Episode 14 - Master of the Throne (6)

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The protagonist really was the protagonist.

I'd dropped him all the way in Gangbuk-gu, and he already had a black flag.

If someone who wasn't a Representative stole a Representative's flag, the hidden Scenario 'Path of Revolution' would open. He probably knew that, so on the way here, he must have killed another station's Representative and taken a king's seat.

More importantly, judging by how furious Yu Junghyeok looked, it seemed Lee Jihye and Jeong Huiwon had gotten the job done properly.

I took a few steps back and looked at Han Suyeong.

"Hey, hand over that sword. Now."

"No."

"You want all of us to die here?"

Han Suyeong's eyes shook, and Yu Junghyeok's Cloak of the Recluse stirred. I shouted.

"Gilyeong!"

At that signal, as if he'd been waiting for it, Lee Gilyeong's eyes turned white.

Grrrooooooo!

I heard the upper part of the cavern tear open, followed by the sound of something pounding against the dungeon. Then, a moment later, with a crackling noise, the scythe of a giant mantis came flying in through one wall of the cavern.

[The Tier-6 Monarch-Level Insect, Titanoptera, has appeared!]

When it came to wreaking havoc, Lee Gilyeong's ability was the best. The entire cavern shook under the giant Monarch-Level Insect's monstrous strength. While Yu Junghyeok turned around in surprise, I smacked the back of Han Suyeong's small head.

"Ah, agh...!"

With a groan, Han Suyeong dropped the Four-Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword. I snatched up the sword, then took the flag hanging around her neck as a bonus.

[You have obtained the flag of the Hongik University Group.]

[Your Purple Flag has absorbed the cumulative merit score of the Black Flag.]

[Your Purple Flag has evolved into a Black Flag.]

[You may now use the privileges of the Black Flag.]

[Congratulations! You have completed the first King's Qualification.]

[The current number of kings remaining: 6]

I immediately ran toward the Tyrant King.

The Tyrant King was pinned beneath a heap of rubble. What remained of his visible flesh had been crushed into a lump like kneaded dough. It was ghastly. He was someone I'd been planning to kill from the beginning, but I never expected him to die in such an absurd way.

From behind me, Han Suyeong cried out pitifully.

"You thieving bastard!"

I ignored her and quickly swept up the Tyrant King's items rolling across the floor.

[You have obtained the item Three Wheeled Ring.]

[You have obtained the item The Dragon Jar.]

The Dragon Jar, a jar of regeneration.

It looked like the Tyrant King had come in after clearing a 7-person dungeon.

"...Kim Dokja!"

Yu Junghyeok came after me at a frightening speed. Even with my Agility at 30, the distance between us was closing in an instant. I looked around, then had no choice but to duck behind the nearest king.

"W-what is it?!"

It was Gu Taeseong, the King of Hubaekje.

"Kraaaak!"

Yu Junghyeok's merciless strike smashed his head, and his flag became Yu Junghyeok's just like that.

[The constellation Lord of Hannam is glaring at you.]

Sorry about that, Gyeon Hwon, but it couldn't be helped. Better luck in the next Scenario. Around then, I stopped running and decided to play dumb.

"Junghyeok, wait a second. Let's settle this by talking."

"That note."

"Note?"

"My sister."

It was only two words, but they were enough for me to understand everything.

Fortunately, Lee Jihye had handled things safely. The note had reached Yu Junghyeok at the right time.

"What about your sister?"

"Where did you hide her?"

"What are you talking about?"

[The character Yu Junghyeok is using lie detection Lv.6.]

[The character Yu Junghyeok has confirmed that your words are lies.]

Damn.

"If you don't talk right now, you really will die."

Even without [lie detection], I could tell that was the truth. The only reason Yu Junghyeok had arrived late to the cavern was entirely because of my scheme.

I had lured him north so he would go save his sister, and because of that, Yu Junghyeok had wasted useless time searching the northern area. It was a plan that was only possible because this was still the <3rd round>, before Yu Junghyeok's personality had worn down too much.

Even if it was underhanded, I had no choice. If Yu Junghyeok, who had become far stronger than in the original <3rd round>, had cast everything else aside and joined the War of Kings, this Scenario would have ended in a flash.

If it happened that way, it could never reach the ending I wanted.

"...Fine. But let's at least talk after you put the sword down. I mean, what were you going to do if I really were a bad guy?"

"Are you planning to take my family hostage?"

"There you go overreacting again. I never said that."

To begin with, the idea of a hostage didn't even hold up here. If this bastard used death regression, it would all be over anyway.

"Then why did you do this?"

"Why do you think?"

Maybe he realized I was stalling for time, because Yu Junghyeok's expression turned cold.

"I should have killed you back then after all... Just die."

The moment Yu Junghyeok raised his sword, a voice rang out in the air.

[Everyone over there, calm down. What are you doing fighting already? Let's see... Ah, you've all met the qualifications.]

A mid-grade dokkaebi. So you finally showed up.

Only then did Yu Junghyeok notice the message window floating in the air.

[The current number of kings remaining: 5]

[The final King's Qualification is starting.]

The bodies of the remaining kings, including Yu Junghyeok and me, began to teleport by force.

"Kim Dok...!"

Yu Junghyeok's sword, thrust out too late, couldn't reach me. I had finally made it all the way to the final phase of this Scenario.

[The qualified kings are being transported to the site of the final test.]

The scenery around me wavered as it changed. It felt like my body was being sucked somewhere at tremendous speed. Then, the next moment, something went thunk against my head. It was only after a short while that I came back to my senses.

[You have been excluded from candidacy for the final King's Qualification.]

...What?

I looked around and found myself standing in the middle of Gwanghwamun. And right where I'd just slammed into something, there was a barrier the size of a baseball stadium. At the center of that barrier was surely the Absolute Throne, the final reward of this Scenario.

Why couldn't I get in there?

[Hahahaha! Oh dear, oh dear! You were so busy looking at the big picture that you missed the important part!]

I looked up at the sound of laughter and saw the sneering face of the mid-grade dokkaebi. I wondered if that bastard had played some trick, but then an unexpected message flew in.

[You have failed to occupy the target station of the Fourth Scenario.]

[To obtain the final King's Qualification, first occupy the target station.]

[Your group's target station is Changsin Station.]

Ah...

I'd been so focused on the kings that I'd completely forgotten. I still hadn't done that.

[If you don't properly clear the previous phase, you can't carry out the final phase. It should be obvious. Did you really think you could just hand-wave your way past it?]

Inside the barrier, the fighting had already started. If this kept up, everything I'd done until now would go straight down the drain. I wondered if it still wasn't too late, and whether I should run to Changsin Station right now.

But... damn it. If I ran all the way there and back, every Scenario would already be over.

"Dokja-ssi!"

From far away, Yu Sangah came running toward me with Lee Gilyeong on her back. But when I looked more closely, there were others with her. Huh?

"Huiwon-ssi?"

Jeong Huiwon was running this way, tightly holding the hand of an unfamiliar little girl.

"My brother's really here?"

"I told you he is. How many times do I have to say it?"

"But I'm hungry."

Jeong Huiwon wasn't supposed to be here right now. She was supposed to rescue a little girl from the Gangbuk area, then wait at Changsin Station. That was the role Jeong Huiwon had been given in this Scenario.

"Huiwon-ssi, why are you here? I clearly told you to wait at Changsin Station..."

"Oh, for heaven's sake. How long was I supposed to keep waiting there? Besides, this kid hasn't eaten since this morning. You said she was your little sister. Weren't you worried at all?"

At Jeong Huiwon's words, the little girl pointed at me and said,

"That person isn't my brother."

"Huh?"

"He's uglier than my brother."

Damn brat.

Jeong Huiwon looked back and forth between me and the little girl in confusion.

"Huh? She isn't your sister, Dokja-ssi? I thought that was why you told me to save her."

"No."

"Then who is she?"

Jeong Huiwon probably had no idea what she'd actually done. Who in the world would think that little girl was that psychopath's sister? I heard a growl from the kid's stomach. Listening to it in blank disbelief, I let out a hollow laugh.

...Was my perfect plan really going to fall apart here?

"Dokja-ssi, where are you going?"

"To occupy Changsin Station."

Even if I was late, all I could do was try. If only I had a long-distance teleport scroll, but with the mid-grade dokkaebi watching, I couldn't even open the Dokkaebi Compendium.

Just then, Jeong Huiwon, who had been watching me, spoke up.

"Why are you going there?"

"What?"

"Hey, take that thing out. The one unni gave you earlier."

"Okay!"

Yu Junghyeok's little sister, Yu Mia, stuck her hand into her mouth. A moment later, her mouth grew abnormally wide, and, sure enough, a rock of equally abnormal size began to come out. It was Yu Mia's Exclusive Skill, [Inventory]. I walked over to the rock.

"What is this?"

"What do you think it is?"

I examined the smooth top of the chunk. Then I saw a small groove where something could be planted.

...I never even thought of it. This was possible?

No one had ever done something like this in any round of TWSA.

Jeong Huiwon said shamelessly,

"To occupy a station, you just need the flag stand, right?"

What kind of brute even thought of something like this?

Jeong Huiwon had cut out the entire section of floor from Changsin Station with the flag stand still in it.

[The constellation Adventurer who Makes Eggs Stand Up admires Jeong Huiwon's idea.]

I was about to say something, but closed my mouth again.

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"...No."

"Then why are you standing there blankly? Hurry up and stick it in, Your Majesty."

I nodded and pulled out the flag.

[Your group has occupied Changsin Station.]

[You have received 2,000 coins as a reward for Capture the Flag!]

It works. It actually works.

[Your group has secured the target station.]

[Your body is being transported to the battlefield of the final King's Qualification.]

With a rushing sensation, my consciousness flickered again.

A message rose in my mind, and the conditions of <The King's Qualification> were added.

+

1. "The Master of the Throne shall be braver than anyone else."

―The Absolute Throne never desires a "weak king." To challenge the throne, you must be a king who possesses at least the [Black Flag].

2. "The one who dreams of the throne must also be worthy of that desire."

―The number of "kings" who can challenge the Absolute Throne is fixed. To obtain the right to challenge it, you must eliminate the other kings around you.

3. "Therefore, the sole king shall be one who stands tall alone, without anyone's help."

―A "king" who can challenge the Absolute Throne must be able to prove their strength with their body alone.

+

[The constellation Naval Warfare God is calmly observing the situation.]

[The constellation Bald Army General is cheering on the Historical constellations.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is snickering as he digs at his ear.]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is picking his nose at the Historical constellations.]

Unlike usual, even the constellations were showing opposing reactions.

Not all constellations were of the same grade. The gap between Historical-grade and fabled-grade was as wide as that between a child and an adult. That was why the reactions of the constellations watching the broadcast were so divided. Just as adults took little interest in children playing hide-and-seek, this Scenario meant little to constellations of fabled-grade or higher.

But it was different for Historical-grade constellations.

A Historical-grade constellation that won this Scenario could ascend the Absolute Throne and build up a new fable of its own. That was why the Historical kings had seemed so impatient ever since the King's Qualification Scenario began.

Then, when I blinked, the battlefield of kings finally came into view.

[From now on, all kings may not receive support from their Patron constellations.]

[From now on, the attack power and defense of all items will be restricted.]

[From now on, the special options of all skills, Stigmas, and items will be sealed.]

[From now on, all kings' stats will be uniformly adjusted to 10/10/10/10.]

[The final King's Qualification will continue until only one person remains.]

Footnotes:

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